2021:247 - GALWAY: Menlough Castle, Menlough, Galway

A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken during conservation works at Menlough Castle, Menlough, Galway City. The conservation works included the removal of vegetation from the walls, and the repair and repointing of the stonework.

Excavations associated with the conservation works were generally confined to a single 2.9m x 2m pit to facilitate the insertion of a concrete base for a temporary arch support. Other works included the repositioning of loose stones and fallen blocks of masonry, and the installation of a gravel ramp on a geotextile membrane, to allow access equipment to be brought into the building to facilitate vegetation clearance from the wall faces. No finds or features of archaeological significance were uncovered during the works and several fragments of cut stone were retained on the site for possible reuse.